KOTOWSKI HELPS PUSH STRONG ETHICS REFORMS IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

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KOTOWSKI HELPS PUSH STRONG ETHICS REFORMS IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SPRINGFIELD-State Sen. Dan Kotowski (D-Park Ridge) and his colleagues in the General Assembly passed sweeping ethics reforms to confront government corruption yesterday.

After weeks of discussion and negotiation, major government ethics proposals are moving through the General Assembly. The Illinois Senate voted to approve campaign contribution caps and tougher rules for Illinois' Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). They are also considering significant changes to the way elected and appointed officials receive pay raises and a provision to clear out individuals appointed by George Ryan and Rod Blagojevich.

"The people of Illinois are sick and tired of corrupt politicians and pay-to-play scandals," Kotowski said. "Enacting significant reforms to our system will restore the confidence of Illinois voters."

Kotowski is a fervent advocate of increasing government accountability and transparency. He has sponsored a number of major reforms this year, which include instituting harsher penalties for elected officials convicted of public corruption, changing how legislators and judges' pensions are calculated, and reducing the veto override threshold of the Cook County Board from four-fifths to three-fifths. He is also a co-sponsor of many of the other reform measures up for discussion in the General Assembly. He called for a legislative salary freeze and furlough days long before these measures reached the Senate, and is a sponsor of the bill.

"We members of the General Assembly need to lead by example," Kotowski said. "That's why I proposed changing our pension rules to match those of other state employees. To deal with individuals who can't follow the rules, I proposed stiffer penalties for officials who profit from acts of corruption, specifically allowing the state to confiscate all of the profits of their crimes and their campaign funds. It's the first law of its kind in this country, and it should serve as a real deterrent for these crimes. We need to restore the people's trust in government."

The measure to strengthen the FOIA now moves to the governor. Campaign contribution caps still must be approved by the Illinois House. Kotowski's provision to allow the state to confiscate corrupt officials' assets also awaits approval in the House.

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